The narrative follows a young woman, Winefred, and her strong-willed mother after coastal erosion and poverty render them homeless, forcing them to seek work and shelter among small seaside communities. Rebuffed and stigmatized, they endure hardship and social friction while forming relationships that test loyalties and reveal private secrets. Encounters range from domestic service and local disputes to assemblies and journeys inland, charting gradual changes in social standing and personal feeling. The chalk-cliff coastline and its communities provide a persistent backdrop, and themes of resilience, maternal influence, communal judgment, and moral choice shape the characters' movement toward reconciliation and change.